Urban Lexicons

Unravelling the
urban lexicon
of our everyday
environments
A project by Rosanna Vitiello and Marcus Willcocks
funded by the Bright Sparks programme at
Gunpowder Park
Signs of Character / Blandness: Tottenham
Contents
Why do we instantly fall in love

with some places...
While others make us want to

get straight out of there?
Could it be down to the details
in these urban environments?
Unravelling the Urban Lexicons
This project begins to decipher how

details in our city environments affect our
perceptions of a place.
Contents
Through street workshops, interviews,

and visual research we start to unravel
an urban lexicon of signs and details that
make us love or loath our urban spaces.
06
Part 1 Project Overview
08
What do we mean by details? What is an urban lexicon?
20
How did we unravel an urban lexicon?
38
Unravelling the Urban Lexicon: Identifying signs
52
Learning from our spaces
54
Commercial
60
Greenspace
66
Residential
72
Transport
78
Part 2 Signs of Urban Lexicons
80
Character / Blandness
114
Life / Lifelessness
140
Welcome / Exclusion
164
Security / Fear
194
Love / Neglect
232
What can we learn from unravelling an urban lexicon?
236
Appendix
239
Briefing Tools
243
Maps and Response Forms
250
Further Information
250
About the authors
251
Acknowledgements
Part 1
Project Overview
Part one of this report captures the
essence and workings of the Urban
Lexicons project. It outlines our aims
and methodologies and summarises our
learning.
What do we mean by details?

What is an urban lexicon?
People read meaning into certain
elements in their public spaces: a broken
window, a planted flower, a lone glove, or
a graffiti tag to name a few.
Although these may appear as disparate
details, we suggest that subconsciously
they combine to create a lexicon,
or vocabulary, that triggers specific
emotional responses.
To use the metaphor of language, details
are like words. As sentences make
meaning from words, so urban details
combine to give people particular
feelings or interpretations of a space.
Together they form an urban lexicon.
Every city shares

roads, cars, crowds and
buildings in common.
What differentiates one
place from another are the
details that define them;
the clothes each place is
dressed in.
Vitiello and Willcocks, 2006
Journal of Place Branding, 3-2
Palgrave
The Difference
is in the Detail
The origins of this project
lie in a paper we wrote
entitled, The Difference
is in the Detail. The
potential of detail as
a place branding tool
and its impact upon
our perceptions and
responses. This project
gave us the chance to
delve deeper into how
people really react to
details in their city.
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What DO WE MEAN BY details? What is aN URBAN Lexicon?
How would you feel here?

Why?
... or how about here?
Urban details
We read meaning into our urban details.
But its not just the elements that are planned
or designed into our cities that impact
how we feel about them, but informal or
unanticipated appropriations too; a hand
painted sign or a graffiti-covered wall.
And details arent just visual. We pick up on
smells, sounds and textures too.
14
15
Urban Lexicon
Social Norms: public spaces are
regulated through unwritten
social codes where subtle rules,
signs and symbols convey
whom a particular space
is for and what behavior is
permissible.
DEMOS/ Joseph Rowntree
Foundation, 2005
Each urban context projects
its own alphabet of details
its Urban Lexicon. Our
interpretation of these details
combines to create a personal
vocabulary of the city.
Each individuals experience
of urban environments is
different, and therefore impacts
the way they understand
their surroundings. Although
everyone builds their personal
urban lexicon, we believe
common interpretations
do exist.
16
17
We never look at cities [in terms of]

emotion and lived experience, and
thats important. When you go into
the city is it saying yes or is it saying
no? Asphalt for example says no.
yes no
Charles Landry, 2006

o what are the details that stimulate those yes or no responses that we
S
instinctively make? Does this scene say yes or no to you?
The very details that attract some people are repulsive to others.
One persons yes place is anothers no place.
But is there any common ground?
We have found there is common ground, even between diverse responses.
This project highlights the frequent presence of differential attention. In
other words, when people respond differently to a place, or even a small
element within, it is often because they have focussed more on some
details than others.
18
no yes
19
How did we unravel

an urban lexicon?
Firstly, we spent time defining the
scope of our research; consulting
advisors and undertaking trials to shape
our methodology; compiling a team of
volunteers to give feedback, defining
types of spaces to research, and scouring
London for sites.
1. Defining the scope of our research

The aim of the first stages of the project was to frame a clear direction for the
investigation and develop a methodology. During this phase we also conducted site
scoping visits and trial run tours to prepare for the street workshops.
We set up a research blog to act as a running archive of our learning and process
during these first stages. Additionally we used online image management and Google
mapping to locate and archive our spatial scoping visits and trial run tours. You can
access these resources via http://www.urbanlexicon.blogspot.com.
Secondly, we ran street workshops

and interviews with our volunteers to
gauge their reaction to four London
environments.
Finally, an analysis of over 250 insights
to spot patterns in peoples responses.
Our research efforts involved us working visually and experimentally, as well as

feeding from more traditional data, literature and dialogue. It was important to
extract and share our learning visually and graphically as well as via more traditional
text based outputs. In this way we believe the material can be quicker to understand,
easier to refer to and carry greater value for more people.
21
People
A broad cross section of volunteers to took part in our
street workshops and gave generously of their time.
Each with different occupations and interests,
some with a professional understanding of the built
environment. Others with local knowledge of a
particular site and some who were totally new to places
we visited.
We wanted to ensure a good span of responses, and
to be sure that any patterns we found couldnt be
attributed to demographic similarities. Additionally,
we werent interested in statistics and drew from very
personal feedback. We conducted in-depth interviews
with this core group of participants to get under the skin
of their urban lexicon. In presenting our results, we aim
to maintain the integrity of their words and pictures.
The collaboration, responses and contribution of these
people became the definitive core to all we have learned
through this project.
22
Alex
Tom
Marta
Mark
Perla
Steve
Stefan
Adrian
Jon
Caroline
Simon
Sam
Luciano
Kathy
Charlotte
Andi
23
Spaces
Early on in the project we categorised the types of urban
environments we wanted to look at. We defined the
following four space-types as representative of typical
spaces you might encounter in any town or city.
Greenspace Pocket parks,
Residential Tower blocks, lo-
community gardens, town

commons, playing fields
rise social housing, conservation areas,

cul-de-sacs and inner city mews.
Transport
Interchange
Commercial Street markets,
Bus, tube and rail stations,

busy crossroads, fly overs
24
local high streets, city-centre

shopping hubs, out-of-town
retail parks
25
Places
Tottenham
We spent time scoping

out various London
boroughs to establish four
research locations.
Archway
Although our wider

interest is to understand
peoples responses to
urban details in any city,
we focused our study
within London to keep
this first funded Urban
Lexicons project feasible
within timescales and
resources.
Given the diverse nature
of the city, we chose four
areas which covered
each of the space-types,
creating a tour within
each borough that linked
greenspace, transport,
commercial and
residential.
Edgeware Rd
Covent Garden
Between these sixteen

sites and the spaces that
linked them we were able
to represent extremes of
the urban environment.
26
27
How did we unravel

an urban lexicon?
2. Workshops
From April to June 2008, we ran street workshops around London to find out how
people felt, what details they noticed and to establish any connections between
the two.
Prior to the workshops we prepared and sent a briefing pack to each participant, to
explain more about the project, the workshops and to help them start thinking about
the questions we wanted to address.
Each participant with provided with a map which laid out a tour of the area, a
response sheet, as well as a digital camera, clipboard and pen. All they had to bring
were their five senses and their opinions.
Detail Detectives
First, think about your instinctive

feeling towards this place? Is is good
or bad, or a combination of the two?
What do clues or details do you notice

that might make you feel that way?
Record it and how its made you feel...
And lets talk about it.
Workshop Pack
28
29
How did we unravel

an urban lexicon?
We provided maps for

each of the four areas,
highlighting the locations
of the four different spacetypes we wanted them to
visit. We did not tell the
participants which areas
we were visiting until we
arrived at a station or bus
stop for each respective
location. That way we could
ensure their responses were
as natural and instinctive as
possible.
Many of the participants
had never visited the
areas before, while one or
two knew selected parts
very well. In each area we
stipulated a start and finish
point and allowed between
30 minutes and two hours
for people to navigate
between and explore the
four space-types, but in no
instance did we specify an
order or particular route that
should be taken between
them.
For more examples of the
maps see part two of the
report, the Appendix..
30
31
How did we unravel

an urban lexicon?
Response sheets acted as

a quick prompt to remind
people how they had felt
and what they had seen.
Along with photos they
became the basis of post
tour interviews.
32
33
Detail Detectives
Street workshops: tours, observations with
participants and in-context interviews
34
After exploring each location, we reconvened with our participants so they could
feedback their immediate responses. We asked them pinpoint how they felt about the
places they had visited and what clues stood out that might make them feel that way.
We asked more specific questions to understand why those details had affected them
in that way. Our interviews provided an in-depth, personal response to each place and
the way in which people were affected by specific details. We recorded the interviews
which became an important part of our research material.
35
3. Analysis
The third part of this project has involved consolidating the material gathered from
the workshops and scoping phases. This included well over 250 sets of data from our
participants, in audio, written and photographic formats, as well as our notes taken
from discussions and observations.
We transcribed the material from our audio interviews with each participant.
These proved vital to understanding what stimulated people to focus on a particular
detail, area or activity that they identified within the workshops. Simultaneously, we
reviewed the responses they had made using the site visit forms and organised all the
photos they had taken. Creating links between the interviews, photos and annotated
forms, we drew out common themes and responses.
Rather than any presupposed outcome, common themes surfaced primarily from
the participants interviews, their words and feelings shaping our conclusions. Our
learning is presented in summary over the next few pages, and in-depth responses
can be found in part two of this document.
36
37
Unravelling the Urban Lexicon:

Identifying signs
Weve established that not everyone looks
at the world in the same way, but there
are some recurring themes in how we feel
about our urban environments.
These themes are defined by combinations
of details. We call these combinations
signs of a places identity and believe they
form our urban lexicon.
Drawing on the analysis of the street
workshops, we can group common
threads from our participants responses
into five types of signs...
Signs of ...
Life / Lifelessness
Welcome / Exclusion
Security / Fear
Love / Neglect
UNRAVELLING THE URBAN LEXICON

IDENTIFYING SIGNS
Signs that make us love

a place because they
show someone else has
loved it first!
People picked up on
personal effort, thought,
time and care as
positive.
Love

IDENTIFYING SIGNS
Signs of uniqueness
create places with
soul; A sense of history,
tradition or local
context; a clue towards
the people who live in
that area.
Character
Memorable places that

people reacted well to
showed distinct signs of
character.

IDENTIFYING SIGNS
Security
Terms such as decay,

deterioration and
depression have been
used in response to
some of the urban
signals. In certain cases,
attempts to increase
security or create
defensible space have
impacted to reduce the
emotional security felt
by the passerby.
Conversely, spaces
which built in trusting
signs are perceived
as more secure and
command respect.

IDENTIFYING SIGNS
Signs that encourage

active rather than
passive human
engagement.
Welcoming features can
encourage participation
and physical and
emotional involvement
in a place.
Welcome

IDENTIFYING SIGNS
Evidence of people,
community, diversity
buzz and activity.
Participants have,
without prompt,
repeatedly introduced
the term community
as something that can
be perceived through
environmental details.
Life

IDENTIFYING SIGNS
These are not strictly defined categories,

rather a pool of perceptions and
responses. The signs are drawn directly
from our participants interviews, during
which they highlighted words such
as life, love, care, fear, character,
welcome etc.
In grouping our participants feedback
weve acknowledged a level of crossover
between each of the signs. A place full
of life was often perceived as safer, more
welcoming and better loved by the
community.
Signs of life, love, welcome, security

and character are all indicative of a place
that is used and treated well by others.
Weve honed our urban vocabulary to
pick up on human presence, above
all on the presence of individuals.
Places that featured informal and
undesigned details, often promoted
more understanding, local engagement
and use of a place than top down spaces
created through rigidly defined detailing.
The personal touch, a sense of
individuality, call it what you will,
we identify with these signs of society
and humanity.
Learning from our spaces

Commercial
Greenspace
Residential
Transport
In addition to signs of the urban lexicon,

certain preoccupations emerged amongst
our participants in relation to the different
spaces. Character was important in
transport spaces; security featured highly
in greenspaces; life in commercial spaces
and love within residential areas.
Within each space we can also see
the relationship between one sign
and another. How signs of life can bring
about a sense of security, for instance, or
signs of neglect feed into a signs of fear.
This chapter sets out the patterns that
emerged in each space.
LEARNING FROM OUR SPACES
Commercial
Thats more like

it. Yeah I like it.
Small, independent
businesses, bit of a
mess, its really
busy, theres a lot
going on.
Jon
Successful commercial spaces become hubs of

exchange for the community. The place to go about
day to day activities, meet and socialize with others,
to bump into a neighbour, to chat with shop owners.
Streets become a reflection of successful shops, the
space for the community to mix in public.
People tend always to find the most positive features
of a street or shopping environment to be those
details which make it different from other places and
specifically those that come from evidence of the
character and care/ attention shown towards the area
by those who live and work there. I.e. - Signs of unique
character through signs of love, e.g. Handwritten
notices, boards, individually prepared window displays,
plants put out by the people in the shop.
There was a positive reaction to evidence of shops
mixing happily with local residents, forming part of the
overall community, providing for, rather than imposing
upon, e.g. Few chain-brand shops or low-branded
environments; more shops set up by those who live
there to meet needs of the community; a healthy mix
of products and foods for sale from different stores (not
one superstore or one type of business), that reflect the
demographic of that place.
Housing close to commercial areas was seen as a
positive sign of the community being involved in the
streets. West Green Road and Church Street seen as
most positive, with the community bleeding through.
The usual Holloway

Road experience of
greyness and neon
signs.
Simon
A sense of community can come through in the way

products are displayed, e.g. The honesty of pound
signs in Church Street Market, the family-like display
of shoes and jeans. Or the variety of shops. The usual
Holloway Road experience of kebab grease and neon
signs wasnt seen as positive when that was the only

COMMERCIAL
type of shop on the street, but more easily swallowed

when mixed with other types of shops.
Signboards on the street, produce outside the shop, a
bench to sit, doors open. Bringing the shop out onto the
street was seen as a welcoming, even trustworthy, and
brings colour and rich detail to the environment.
It gives a reason to browse.
This is echoed by larger chains. Whilst the fruit in
the market brings natural colour into the urban
environment, the windows of Budgens use large
pictures of fresh fruit and veg to entice customers and
add a big swathe of colour to the street. Equally, the
stall holders bring a human face to the street, as do
the windows of Sainsburys with their oversize smiling
portraits.
56
They have some

things outside it
makes you go and
see oh what are
they showing. Like
they have panels,
or in another shop,
the bread and
cheese
Marta
57

COMMERCIAL
Space
Common Feelings
Holloway Road
- Dull, boring, Traffic dominated
Lack of community and ownership
Low quality shops
Poorly maintained
+ Diversity of population
Churches
Church Street
+ Community and Tradition
Involving
Serves the community
Honest & real
- Poor & Depressed
Dirty
Monmouth Street & Neals Yard

+ Plants and Seating
Colourful walls and murals
Elements of local history
Mix of new and old
- Can feel too forced - False Identity
Too impersonal
Exclusivity
West Green Road

+ Fun and Variety
Vibrant, Messy
Mixed population
Small scale and Permeable
- Functional
Depressing
Not cared for
Urban Lexicon

GREENSPACE
Greenspace
My ideal garden.

First of all it has
to be clean. It has
to have the right
vibe, Open, lots
of grass, just well
looked after. Not so
enclosed so that it
brings trouble.
Alex
In all the greenspaces visited, people looked for signs

that made them feel safe. The preoccupation with a
sense of security was far greater than in commercial
spaces, almost as if the default was that greenspaces
were dangerous places.
Also important beyond this is being able to feel
welcomed via evidence of a variety of activities
being supported, which in turn are likely to attract
a wide mix of users at different times of day. Our
participants looked to for signs of different uses from
the green spaces: for relaxing, for sport, for walking
the dog, as a space to escape, for children to play,
for meeting friends, or simply sitting to read a book
or have a bite to eat. The perceived characters of
different greenspaces were very much influenced by
the life and activities that were seen to be promoted
there.
Signage at park entrances highlighting what could
be done was understandably read as far more
welcoming than signs which greeted visitors with a
list of prohibited activities and no symbols. Some
participants even questioned whether signs insisting
on no drugs, for example, actually meant there were
problems with drug-taking at that location, and made
them less confident, or secure, about the space.
Perimeter barriers and fencing were also highlighted
repeatedly as features which appeared to make or
break participants feelings of safety or fear in
the place. In many cases, higher barriers and metal
railings were seen to make people feel excluded
or uninvited from the space. Several participants
suggested low hedging as a more welcoming
alternative which allowed for good sight lines into a
park and was in keeping with the natural setting.

GREENSPACE
I dont want my
pastoral idyll
ruined by some
bloody building
with bars
on the window. Jon
Participants had a bucolic ideal in mind in many

of the greenspaces. When very straight paths were
encountered, for example, it was seen to make the
environment feel less natural, more lifeless and less
useable. Conversely, ramshackle details provoked
positive responses and added a sense of life to
greenspaces.
It was really warm

and cared for,
but not too cared
for. It had a really
nice feeling, to do
with it being a bit
ramshackle. Sam
Clearly there were expectations that greenspaces should

also present opportunities to encounter a variety of
nature and wildlife. Wide ranges of natural colour
beyond the standard green, different plants, trees, birds,
insects were seen as signs that the space was loved and
so could be loved back.
The flowers, the

bright colours.
It was a really nice
space.
Simon
Signs of life via evidence of community activity around

the greenspaces, also formed an important part of the
features noted during the workshops. These ranged
from details such as composting areas, to notices
about events organised in the location, or volunteer
groups working on improving the place. Beyond
that community painted walls and other evidence of
responsibility being shared for the care of the space.
Surprise features, hand-painted and hand-made
elements within greenspaces prove important signs of
love. The greenspaces most often viewed as neglected
and under used tend consistently to be devoid of such
personal touches and were seen as over-sterile.
When people go to
a park they want
to carve out a little
bit of space for
themselves so they
can chill out.
Jon
The proportions of greenspaces also impacts how much

sense of community and character can be read in
each place.
While small scale pockets of greenspace were
appreciated and seen as important by some of the
participants, preferences were regularly expressed of
the desire for each person to be able to find their own
personal space to occupy within a park or gardens.
Where this proved difficult owing to the size of the place
or the number of people, the scale was then seen as
problematic.
For many it appears that signs of a safe greenspace can
be determined by how easily a person can find space
to use the place in whichever way they prefer some
seek space for tranquility, while others seek spaces for
sport, but both look to be able to use the space without
conflict.

GREENSPACE
Space
Common Feelings
Whittington Park
+
Engaged community
Sense of improvement
Diverse activities
Low barriers
Restrictive layout
Broadley Street Gardens
+
Well looked after
Peaceful
Sitting & Lying
Restrictive layout
Phoenix Gardens
+
Ramshackle & Charming
Loved
Engaged community
Relaxing
High fencing
Tottenham Green
+
Open and accessible
Noisy
Public drinking
Anonymous
Lack of seating
Urban Lexicon
Residential
Character is added
by the different
colours to the doors
and adding details
in different ways...
It expresses the
character of the
people who live in.
No two people are
the same, which
adds interest.
Luciano
The pale green

colour suggests its up
and coming, and the
blinds. The middle
classes are moving
in.
Kathy
Within residential spaces, peoples responses

consistently came back to evidence of human activity;
details that could combine to be interpreted as signs
of life. In short, evidence of people equals positive and
vibrant residential places, whereas no people equals
negative and insecure spaces.
Participants often looked for very personal signals and
unravelled complex social codes through a single detail;
a Greenpeace sticker suggesting a deadlocked resident
with a long skirt and Doctor Martins; no net curtains,
meaning people are posh.
Participants positively noted opportunities for residents
to use shared spaces surrounding residential buildings.
Common gardens, open areas, opportunities to play,
to sit and even places for people to work on their cars
were seen as positive elements integrated within these
environments. Where residential streets offered little to
provide such features didnt encourage people to use
the public spaces beyond their front doors, responses
were repeatedly more negative. Harsh divisions
between public and private spaces were often seen to
add feelings of hostility to an area. These instances were
more closely associated to signs of fear within the
area, and indicators that there may be issues with safety
in the locality.
Signs of individuality, well-maintained historical
elements and unexpected features, such as the
quirky stockings shop among housing near Church
Street , were all seen as important to defining the
character of a residential place. Furthermore, the
care or maintenance required in presenting such
characteristic features - be they flowers planted in the
pavement, colourfully painted woodwork, or carefully
organised storage seen through a window- were often
the clues that combined to define some of the signs of

RESIDENTIAL
I dont think youd

have too many
rocking parties, the
neighbours would
tell you off. You cant
exactly have a BBQ
outside. It feels
so clean that you
wouldnt want to.
Tom
love identified. Opportunities for individual residents

to contribute to the shared environments via such
gestures of care, were also repeatedly appreciated in this
way.
Evidence of recently completed maintenance, pending
improvements, and unique physical details in the street
are all seen to help define character and show love for
a residential place.
Both local authority and individual initiative were
seen as having a role to play in the sense of welcome
emitted by residential areas be that in terms of human
scale buildings and open and comprehensible street
layouts; cared for property entrances; informal posters
announcing community events posted along a street.
Sounds of life from houses and flats also encouraged a
sense of feeling relaxed or secure among participants;
Cooking, family activity and of music coming from
properties were all indications of an active and engaged
street.
It didnt feel like

the area was helped
because it wasnt
particularly clean.
You think, the council
arent really helping.
Youre not going to
look after the area
if its just left to get
grotty.
Simon
Openness, easily perceptible spaces and cleanliness

were all seen to help provoke a sense of security
so long as these are not to the exclusion of human
presence of the space. Uncollected rubbish and littered
streets were clearly identified as signs of neglect. A
clean street was seen as more important in residential
spaces than any other space type, almost a not in my
backyard attitude.
However, at the other extreme excessive maintenance,
rigidly repetitive dwelling designs or sterile
environments were viewed as key factors influencing
bland or lifeless areas, which seem also to stimulate
feelings that you are not welcome.
Some controlled variation in materials and colour
such as on door fronts was seen as respectful to the
Look at that theyve

matched the door
colour to the shutters
and the flowers
amazing.
Tom
It looks like a

surveillance tower
on a prison camp.
Kathy
overall community, a sense of fitting in. Using lower

quality materials on new developments made to look
like old , for example was spotted as fake contributing
a places identify. If anything, these cues were seen
to infer some neglect in the approach to new
developments, or those use them. Over-regulated or
under-considered, squared or strictly modern shapes
in buildings and layouts appear to provoke impressions
of blandness in respect to residential spaces.
Service installations such as cable boxes, aerials,
posts, masts, poles, warning signs etc- were highlighted
a number of times, as if they had been installed without
respect or consideration of the locals, and in such cases
constitute signs of neglect.
Boarded-up buildings, windows and door-fronts are
also seen as signs of decay or neglect. At times they
also provoked associated impressions that the area is
lifeless and feelings of uncertainty or fear about the
place. Excessive signs that indicate authority control in
the public environments including prison-like fencing,
CCTV cameras and no games or unnecessary warning
signage- were also noted to add to sensations that
people should be wary about a residential area and that
peoples individuality was not respected.
In keeping with the desire to find evidence of people in
residential spaces, cars are appreciated to some extent
as signs of life. However, where they are allowed to
become dominant they tend to be perceived more as a
sign that people have been forgotten or excluded from
the space, making them want to get out of there.

RESIDENTIAL
Space
Common Feelings
Tavistock Terrace
- Lack of people
Too quiet
+ Beautiful
Loved
Full of character
Clean
Edgeware Road Housing

+ Integrated with commercial
Brightly coloured
- Over-controlled
Deprived
Coleville Place
+ Plants
Colourful walls and murals
Elements of local history
Mix of new and old
- Daily Mail readers
Lack of Trust
Hale Gardens
+ Life outside
Individual care
Music
- Not cared for by the Council
Oppressive features
Unused greenspace
Urban Lexicon

TRANSPORT
Transport
Its totally
anonymous.
It could be
anywhere in the
country.
Simon
Attitudes towards transport interchanges were

overwhelmingly negative. Many of the spaces were
seen as inhospitable, impersonal or incomprehensible.
Understandably, given the nature of these locations
being about getting from one place to another, a large
proportion of the reactions were centred around
participants perceptions of orientation, place and
direction. Importantly, the spaces outside and adjacent
to the transport interchanges, were viewed as important
in defining these factors, as the interiors of the stations
themselves.
The workshops revel a led a recurring need for a sense
of arriving at a place character both within and
beyond a stations boundaries. In part, this was seen to
be defined via unique combinations of details and signs
of life specific to the area; a sense of locality. These
included physical elements such as clear lines of sight
toward and away from the station, but also architectural
details that go beyond pure function but show some
love for the place itself.
Additionally a small selection of independent
commercial venues such as fruit stalls, flower stalls
and coffee shops at station exits, were seen to help
welcome people to the area and get a grasp on where
they were. The visual presence of homogenized
space designs, brands and venues on the TransportCommercial frontiers, showed on several occasions
to augment impressions of blandness about the
transport spaces and areas around them. It seems
important to locate locally distinctive features in close
proximity to each hub.

TRANSPORT
Noisy. Traffic. Noise.

Speed. Le Mans.
Horrible!
Luciano
The presence of people in adjacent spaces helps

boost perceptions of security, up to a point.
When densities of people increase to the point
where personal space begins to be restricted or
invaded, the effect of the presence of people seems
reversed. Accordingly, people gain a greater sense of
confidence about a transport interchange when the
can find a space to orientate themselves and visually
take stock of where they are, in their own time.
This helps with perceptions of welcome as well as
security. Conversely, spaces and details which force
people tight together and route them in a directions
they dont necessarily want to go, can have the
opposite impact. They were found to increase tension
among these environments, already full of people
wanting to get quickly from A to B. Opportunities to
find personal space alleviated peoples disturbance
in the face of intense flows of noise, vehicle traffic
or densities of people. In turn, that allowed a greater
sense of personal safety.
Signage is essential in transport spaces. Significantly,
signs and cues connecting transport hubs to unique
features of the area were considered important in
indicating the life and character of a place e.g.,
the sign to Lee Valley Walk or seeing the red tiles of
the building opposite upon exiting Edgeware Road.
Dominant roadworks and intense noise upon
exiting a station were seen as disorientating and
inconsiderate, and thought of as signs of neglect
towards the users of the transport hubs. In general,
details that increased a sense of chaos around a
station, tended to also increase uncertainty or
insecurity about a place.
Participants repeatedly looked out for evidence of
maintenance and signs of improvement, as features
that imply a level of corporate care towards the
I immediately
thought it was
colourful. The
station was trying
to convey a feel of
friendliness.
Steve
travellers, or signs of love. Where these were missing,

e.g. The fast food litter and unrenovated buildings on
the exit from Archway station, these show a distinct
lack of love neglect- and generate feelings of
hostility and exclusion from the space.
New technologies, such as electronic displays
and cameras, were not seen as integrated into
their transport environments as sympathetically
as older installations e.g., clocks and lighting at
Edgeware Road love but rather plonked into the
space neglect. The dominant presence of CCTV
was several times interpreted as implying a lack of
security within a station.
The scale of some station buildings and those
around them was seen as impersonal, and in some
cases over-designed or hostile without much
consideration for the people using that area e.g.
Archway and Tottenham Hale. There was little
provision for people to step back and comprehend
the transport spaces, let alone enjoy them neglect
and exclusion.
The use of greys, beiges and neutral tones, which
hide the dirt, was not appreciated in the transport
environments, but instances of transparent materials
were seen to add safety as they helped orientation
and visibility. The use of coloured or textured
ceramics also express care or love in the place.
The discovery of surprise elements in the connecting
spaces between interchanges were received very
positively. Artworks, interesting lighting, sculptural
road forms and even subway gallery space, were seen
as signs of love and character in what are essentially
functional transport spaces.

TRANSPORT
Space
Common Feelings
Archway Station and Interchange
- Dull, boring, Traffic dominated
Anonymous, no sense of place
Overpowered by concrete
Litter
Dark and uninviting
+ Small shops and cafes
Space to orientate yourself
Edgeware Road Stations &

Marleybone Road Flyover
+ Epic urban scale
Subterranean gallery
Heritage features
- Noise
Tottenham Court Road

+ Fountain
- Chaotic
Noisy
Tacky
Tottenham Hale Station

+ Open, glass wall
Waiting room
- Grotty
Anonymous, no sense of place
Confusing
Urban Lexicon
Part 2
Signs of Urban
Lexicons
This second section represents a wider
selection of our contributors responses.
Peoples feelings and photos group
together to reveal themes or lexicons that
emerged in greater depth.
78
Signs of ...
Life / Lifelessness
Welcome / Exclusion
Security / Fear
Love / Neglect
79

IDENTIFYING SIGNS
Signs of Character / Blandness

Character creates a sense of place, creating memorable and unique spaces.
Stations were amongst the blandest of spaces, providing little in the way of a sense of
arrival or suggesting nothing of local character.
Character can come through a sense of allowing nature to define the feel of the space
rather than feeling overly manicured. Many participants used the word ramshackle
in describing some of the spaces they viewed as positive.
Signs of visual distinctiveness and independence were high on the list, as was a
desire to find indicators of authentic initiative rather than pre-fabricated industry
or chain solutions. There appears a demand for genuine entrepreneurialism to
create uniqueness of identity, community and impart a sense of trust within these
environments. Eclectic but cohesive environments proved the most popular.
80
SIGNS OF CHARACTER / BLANDNESS

TAVISTOCK TERRACE
RESIDENTIAL
Even if the
architecture
is repetitive
...character
is added by
the different
colours to
the doors
and adding
details
in different
ways.
Luciano
81

TAVISTOCK TERRACE
RESIDENTIAL
How would you describe character?

Character! Its diversity amongst the
homogeneity. They are all the same but
they are all different. It expresses the
character of the people who live in.
No two people are the same, which
adds interest. Luciano
82
83
Theres no net curtains, which means people are

posh. Net curtains suggest a bit common. My
parents have net curtains so that no one can look in
and burgle your house. Tom

TAVISTOCK TERRACE
RESIDENTIAL
This is a wealthy street.

There are certain things that suggest that.
The railings, the original windows and doors, t
he wooden shutters. The fact theres only one
door bell, they havent been divided into flats.
The smell of wood burning.
The cars are not flashy like those you might find in
Chelsea, not BMWs and Mercedes. So maybe theyve
got better things to worry about. Maybe theyre
more intellectual. Kathy
84
85

TAVISTOCK TERRACE
RESIDENTIAL
The railings;
Theyre more interesting than
modern railings, not because
theyre decorated, but because
theyre less utilitarian.
Whys it got to be just
utilitarian?Luciano
The design is peculiar to this

street. The triangular archway with
the old mans head. There must be
a reference to a local character.
Its nice, but who is he!? A head of
developer? An old sailor who made
a fortune and built these houses.
Luciano
86
87

WOOD GREEN ROAD
commercial
There was no sense of

Great Britain plc that
you get in every town in
Britain where theres Smiths,
Boots, Tescos and Costa
Coffee. There was none of
those businesses.
Mark
I liked the feeling it had a
sense of place about it,
you felt you were on an
alternative high street.
Steve
88
89

WOOD GREEN ROAD
commercial
I dont aspire
to Costa coffee.
But I found it very
depressing on a very
personal level. If I had to
live there and that was
how I had to exist day
in day out, that would
make me very unhappy.
Tom
90
91
SIGNS
/ BLANDNESS
SignsOF
ofCHARACTER
Character
/ Blandness: Tottenham
MONMOUTH STREET
COMMERCIAL
It felt European, civilized, cosmopolitan,

liveable, high spec: London at its best.
The caf culture makes you want to sit
down, take time, but the area retains
London identity, from the period details
in the streets. Steve
92
93
The first thing that stuck with

me was the road. The road was
ridiculous. Its kind of faux
cobbled new bloody stupid
thing and the road really wound
me it up. It was far too neat.
Jon
What do you mean

by quality materials?
Here in Covent garden its the brick,
its the cobbles, its the fact that
theres some consistency between
the streets. Its quality because its
very highly maintained. Steve
.
94
95
SIGNS OF CHARACTER / BLANDNESS: COVENT GARDEN
Heritage
There were cobbled
streets off to one side
so there was a sense of
history. Mark
The signs are in the same
very old case and design.
It says that youre in high
class central London. Steve
Youve got some real rich
Victorian bits and bobs
hanging about, like the tile
work outside Fred Perry is
beautiful. Sam
96
97

edGEWARE ROAD
TRANSPORT
I felt a lot of historical reference

to it in the architectural features
themselves. I felt a lot more
effort involved in things,
especially with the tiles, the
individually cast tiles with pictures
cast on them. Caroline
98
99

COVENT GARDEN
GREENSPACE
On the entrance to the park, theres

a bit of mosaic from something
that was there previous. Its quite
suggestive of the whole place.
A detail of a flower. Its a
fragment of something really
beautiful, I think thats what
the garden is in that bit of the
town. Sam
100
101
It was unkempt, and it was a bit mysterious and

you didnt know whether you were meant to walk here
or there. What a really incredible place.
Jon
102
It had the touch of an allotment and a junk yard.

I found it really charming because it was a bit of a
mish-mash. There were so many pieces that were
just thrown together and werent meant to fit. Stefan
103

ARCHWAY
commercial
There was no sense of unity apart

from the unremitting dullness
of the road. Mark
104
105
SIGNS
/ BLANDNESS
SignsOF
ofCHARACTER
Character
ARCHWAY STATION
TRANSPORT
Archway
station
is really
lacking any
personality
whatsoever.
Theres nothing.
Tom
I felt separate
and remote...
a sense of it all
being drab...
of big block
pieces of
concrete and big
tower blocks that
have just been
plonked there.
Is Archway
actually there
when you
come out? I
dont know
what it is. Steve
106
107
The street furniture is

out of a catalogue. The
local authoritys got a
bit of money and has
bought some furniture
for that section but
theres nothing that
says this is London
or this is Archway.
Steve
108
109
SIGNS
/ BLANDNESS
SignsOF
ofCHARACTER
Character
TOTTENHAM HALE STATION
TRANSPORT
Its totally
anonymous.
It could be
anywhere in the
country. Simon
110
The immediate environment

was a bit nondescript. There
was no sense of direction. My
immediate reaction was Where is
Tottenham Hale? I could have
been anywhere-land. Steve
I though Ooh no, where on earth am I? A huge open

space, there was no shops... It was a big load of
nowhere. You couldnt see anywhere. Id have much
preferred to be on some sort of high street where
theres lots of things going on that a huge open space
looking into the distance Mark
111
SignsOF
ofCHARACTER
Character
SIGNS
/ BLANDNESS
TOTTENHAM GREEN
GREENSPACE
Ive been past it a million times and I would never

consider sitting there and for some reason Ive never
thought about it. Theres nothing essentially wrong
with the space, but if you live in an area like that like I
thought, it becomes invisible. Tom
112
113

IDENTIFYING SIGNS
Signs of Life / Lifelessness

Evidence of people, community, buzz and activity creates spaces that feel alive.
Diversity is at the heart it. With diversity comes a sense of inclusion, welcome and
friendliness, allowing you to define your own space within that community, a sense
that, I can fit in here too.
Public space is defined as a place open to everyone. Environments that support a
broad span of activities and people were better used, and by a wider spectrum of the
population. Greenspaces that offered places for people to carve their niche and areas
for children, adults, pets and natural life were at the heart of their community. Spaces
that prohibited or did not support certain activities were often restricted in use and
felt dead.
People have repeatedly used the term community as something they perceive
through environmental details. At times thats shown through a collective respect for
a space, such as the unwritten respect for the streetscape in Tavistock Terrace. Other
times through the simple fact the local population is out on the streets, getting on
with life.
I really liked it.

Its this thing of
community
and for
want of a
better word
it seemed
real. It was
just everyone
getting on
with their
lives. Jon
Life comes not just through evidence of people, but in locals actively using the street,
having reason to bring their lives outside. Working on cars, shopping outdoors,
stopping for a chat. These all became signs of life. Symptoms of transient populations
(takeaway shops, to let signs) or those hidden behind closed doors created lifeless
places that no one wanted to hang around in.
Room for individual personalities and local characters to come through helped to
define a place. Evidence of locally run shops, on street stalls with tangible, touchable
goods that encouraged conversation between local people.
114
115
SIGNS OF LIFE / LIFELESSNESS

CHURCH STREET
COMMERCIAL
What stood out

to me first of all
were the pound
signs, because
its not 1.99,
theyre not like
buy this.
Caroline
116
117

CHURCH STREET
COMMERCIAL
Its very convenient for all the

residents because they can afford
it because its cheap. You look
at the fruits. One tray is 1,
whereas in Tescos you spend
triple. Perla
118
119
SIGNS
/ LIFELESSNESS
SignsOF
ofLIFE
Character
CHURCH STREET
COMMERCIAL
Community
I liked the fact that

it was a space of
provision.
A very family space.
Things were sized
from childrens
shoes to adults
shoes and they were
all placed next to
each other.
Caroline
120
121

WOOD GREEN ROAD
COMMERCIAL
Theres a lot of people just

hanging around which kind of
gives it more of a community
feel...You can see the community
bleeding through into the
commercial district and vice
versa. Jon
I feel like there

could be a street
festival at any
second, I can
see everyone
going crazy.
I think theres
a lack of order
that suggests a
sense of fun. It
feels energetic
through not being
very ordered.
Jon
122
A real mish-mash It felt fun, I liked

of different people. the variety. It was
Its quite vibrant.
busy. It was a bit
Hustle and
down at heel and
bustle.
I found that quite
Simon
attractive at the
same time.
Steve
123

CHURCH STREET
COMMERCIAL
A space for individuals to sell

things rather than by a corporation.
A mess of personalities
rather than some hideously
organised thing. Not branded.
Jon
124
125
SIGNS
/ LIFELESSNESS
SignsOF
ofLIFE
Character
PHOENIX GARDENS
GREENSPACE
It felt alive. Jon
126
127

WHITTINGTON PARK
GREENSPACE
Largely the park worked because

I thought there were all sorts of
different areas to explore.
Mark
People seemed to be enjoying
themselves, having fun in
a sociable way. There was a
sense of community owning
the spaces. Mums and kids in
the play area. Young lads playing
football in the football area. Steve
128
129
SIGNS
/ LIFELESSNESS
SignsOF
ofLIFE
Character
BROADLEY STREET GARDENS
GREENSPACE
You cannot play, you cannot

touch the grass, you cannot
breathe in the gardens!
No dogs no skating
no nothing! Marta
The space is really badly put
together. I was trying to work
out where I should try and sit. I
couldnt find anywhere ideal. Jon
Everyones sitting down...
People come here for their lunch
but not necessarily at any other
stage. Caroline
130
131
SIGNS
/ LIFELESSNESS
SignsOF
ofLIFE
Character
HOLLOWAY ROAD
COMMERCIAL
Few signs of Life
132
Lots of people going in or out

but no one hanging around.
Theres no cohesiveness to it.
Simon
133

HOLLOWAY ROAD
COMMERCIAL
Who owns the street?

People are passing by but
where are they going and
cars are travelling to other
places. Its just a bit grim.
Steve
I saw a lot of places
to rent, a lot of little
apartments to rent. It made
me feel like everybodys
leaving that place and they
are going to another place.
Marta
134
135
SIGNS
/ LIFELESSNESS
SignsOF
ofLIFE
Character
TAVISTOCK TERRACE
RESIDENTIAL
Its lovely. I dont want to

be too loud. I dont want
to wake the posh people.
Tom
There were no people...

I felt everybody was behind
closed doors. Im not sure
that everyone would know
their neighbours up and
down that road. Mark
Its not very lively.
You dont feel its that
friendly and you imagine
its ships in the night.
Which is good and bad,
you dont necessarily want
to be entangled with your
neighbours all the time.
I guess here its behind
twitching curtains.
Simon
136
137

HALE GARDENS
RESIDENTIAL
The fact that the whole place was

really quiet, with no-one around,
really threw me, at a time of day when
there should have been people around...
Which is why it felt run down to me,
as if everyone had up-and-left. Jon
138
One house I passed I could hear family

noise and cooking. I thought thats
quite nice. People are just getting on
with their lives. I would even consider
living there, apart from the fact it was in
the middle of
a road. Tom
139

IDENTIFYING SIGNS
Signs of Welcome / Exclusion

Signs of active rather than passive human engagement. Elements that make people
happier to engage with other people. Welcoming features can encourage participation
and physical and emotional engagement with the area.
Some of these are also examples of commercial participation, where in bringing the
shop to the street, or part of it, traders can engage in new levels of communication
with potential customers.
Going beyond signs of welcome, details that encouraged active participation shone
through. Allowing people to get involved in the space, make it theirs and leave their
mark is a true sign of a successful space.
140
SIGNS OF WELCOME/EXCLUSION
TOTTENHAM HALE
TRANSPORT
There was this pole with

8, 9, 10 .. a thousand
CCTV cameras, I dont
even know what they were
monitoring as there was
nothing worthwhile even
vandalising It was insane,
so over the top...It made
me feel it was a purely
utile zone where youre
not meant to stay more
than half a minute. Jon
141
SIGNS
SignsOF
ofWELCOME/EXCLUSION
Character / Blandness: Tottenham
TOTTENHAM HALE
TRANSPORT
Horrible carpark and metal

railings. Could have been in a
borstal somewhere. Id have
been much happier if that had
been green. Mark
It sucks! Its the grotty little cues.

You come out theres a big car park and buses
coming towards you and concrete round things for
no reason, metal railings and CCTV. Its just all
uugh.
Its bizarre thats its oppressive yet its really open at
the same time so why should it feel?
Its not a pleasant spot. Simon
142
143
TOTTENHAM HALE
TRANSPORT
I liked the glass walls that made it feel open, and you
sense the outside space that you were part of. Steve
I liked the glass around, you could see outside. On
the other side theres some plants but at the same time
its enclosed. Mark
144
A sign to the Lee Valley walk. I thought thats really

good, all of a sudden theres access to greenspace
somewhere and I all have to do is follow this sign.
Mark
145
SIGNS
SignsOF
ofWELCOME/EXCLUSION
ARCHWAY
TRANSPORT
The pavement was wide...Several lanes all

travelling somewhere else and youre a bit player as
a pedestrian in that whole scene. Steve
I liked the fact that the pavement was wide so
I could stand and get my bearings without people
pushing into me. Mark
146
Youre segregated by this big road from the other side

of the road and by these big railings which are clearly
there to protect you from the traffic, but the downside
is that you cant actually figure how you would get
to the other side of the road. Steve
147
ARCHWAY
TRANSPORT
It felt very harsh.

Clearly designed for
functionality but without
thinking about people. The
walls were very hard, concrete-y,
blank.
My experience in coming out of
that station was that it was a very
unfriendly environment, with
shutters. You just thought would I
want to come through this area at
night?, No, I wouldnt, it was just
absolutely appalling. Steve
148
149
SIGNS
SignsOF
ofWELCOME/EXCLUSION
MONMOUTH STREET
COMMERCIAL
A place
to sit
Outside
Monmouth
Coffee Shop
theyve got a
bench for
people to sit
on. Those are
really friendly
and inviting
details. Sam
150
151
SIGNS
SignsOF
ofWELCOME/EXCLUSION
WOOD GREEN ROAD/ MONMOUTH STREET
COMMERCIAL
That sign. I thought, thats very

inclusive: Euro, Afro, Asian,
well look after everybody.
I thought Ooh thats good.
Mark
Inside Neals Yard youve got fridge

magnet poetry which invites
everyone to participate, which
is another friendly little detail.
Then theyve got blackboards with
peoples observations and
poetry and stuff. Sam
152
153
SIGNS
SignsOF
ofWELCOME/EXCLUSION
WHITTINGTON PARK
GREENSPACE
I wasnt sure what to expect.

Youve got the banks of earth and
you cant really see in. I wasnt
sure if it was going to be
teenagers drinking cans of
lager on swings
or what it was going to be.
Simon
154
The park seemed like an extension of peoples

front gardens as the barriers were quite low.
Kathy
The embankments are a nice way to end the park.
It forms a gateway. Its protected but its open.
There are no barriers. Luciano
155
PHOENIX GARDENS
GREENSPACE
There was a sign, no drinking, no drugs, but even

that had a nice ramshackle look to it...I think
the intention was to make it look more like a
community ad-hoc look. It looked like it was in
Louisiana, some swamp land. Simon
The big sign. Thats the thing that bothered me.
Cause it said no drugs and I think thats a given.
You dont sit down and start taking drugs openly do
you? I expected to find little ASBO kids smoking
cannabis. Stefan
156
157
SIGNS
SignsOF
ofWELCOME/EXCLUSION
HALE GARDENS
RESIDENTIAL
There was one unit with an

entrance breeze blocked up.
Thats a really strong signal that
an area isnt doing very well.
If you breeze block up an entrance
its not very easy to open and shut it
again. Theres no point in using
the space basically and its very
negative. Tom
158
159
EDGEWARE ROAD
RESIDENTIAL
Thats a car park for these flats.

Its very, very dark. If it was in the
winter at 4 oclock when its already
dark I wouldnt go near there.
Its not inviting. You have that
reluctance to go in the place.
I wouldnt hang around in that area.
I wouldnt go about in the dark.
Perla
160
161
TAVISTOCK TERRACE
RESIDENTIAL
I dont think youd have too

many rocking parties, the
neighbours would tell you
off. You cant exactly have a
bbq outside. It feels so clean
that you wouldnt want to.
Tom
162
163

IDENTIFYING SIGNS
Signs of Security / Fear

Building a sense of security is about building trust. CCTV, metal shutters, high railings;
It seems that none of these deterrents are a substitute for people in creating safer
spaces, rather they make for untrusting environments.
Legitimate human activity, time and again, made a place feel more secure and
encouraged our people to use that space. Empty environments or, ironically,
those with prominent security features, often provoked responses of fear and
doubt amongst the public. In certain cases, attempts to increase security or define
defensible space actually made people feel more uneasy. However, where someone
was present who cared for that space (e.g. a park warden, a community gardener) they
made our contributers feel much more at ease.
SIGNS OF SECURITY /FEAR

ARCHWAY
TRANSPORT
Steel shutters which are there

for security purposes actually
create an environment where it
doesnt feel safe or friendly or
attractive so you dont want to
be there as a person. Steve
Details that made a place feel enclosed often encouraged fear. Surprisingly,
greenspaces brought about a high number of feelings of uncertainty. High fences or
barriers and poor sightlines across the park threw up notions of an open prison. In
transport spaces, dim lighting, old-fashioned interiors and small, enclosed spaces left
people feeling wary and fearful of using those stations at night, especially amongst
females. These negative details could always be combated by the presence of people,
creating places that people responded to as safe and secure.
164
165
SIGNS
/FEAR/ Blandness: Tottenham
SignsOF
ofSECURITY
Character
WOOD GREEN ROAD
COMMERCIAL
At the beginning part of the road

you may feel fearful. It was
very scruffy and dirty. A lot
of metal shutters outside the
shops. They give you a sense of
hooliganism; you fear youre
shop fronts going to be smashed
in. Kathy
What I didnt like. There were
steel shutters, and one or two had
their shutters down. I thought if
they all had them down at night it
would feel quite hostile. Steve
166
167
168

MONMOUTH STREET
COMMERCIAL
Instead of
putting up
an unfriendly
closed sign
in the cheese
shop, theyve
stacked their
bins outside
which is a
nicer way of
saying were
closed than
a big abrupt
sign.Sam
169

PHOENIX GARDENS
GREENSPACE
The bars. It just felt

like an open prison.
Negative vibes,
negative vibes all
the way. Alex
170
171
SIGNS
SignsOF
ofSECURITY
Character
PHOENIX GARDENS
GREENSPACE
The graffitis quite optimistic

as well, you know, Resistance is
never futile. Have a nice day.
You dont get that everywhere,
do you?! Sam
172
It was nasty. There was a pond,

there was more graffiti then
theres more bushes. Then you
see the odd person on the
corner, and you think, woah,
this is creepy. At night, this
is one place you do not want
to be in... It would be very
awkward and dangerous. Alex
173

TOTTENHAM GREEN
GREENSPACE

WHITTINGTON PARK
GREENSPACE
It felt safe, because it was The other thing that

close to the pavement
made me feel alright
and close to the road
about going in, because
because there were a lot
I was quite apprehensive,
of people about. Steve
was that you can see
people relaxing.
Seeing people doing
that makes it feel like
a nicer place. Tom
174

BRAODLEY STREET GARDENSGREENSPACE
If someone went in there to

attack you, theres no people
around to notice you. Perla
175

PHOENIX GARDENS
GREENSPACE
It was like someones garden.

I felt like it was a place of trust,
there were things hanging on
the trees. I thought, the place
is open, theyre trusting you not
to run off with stuff and theyre
respecting you and you end up
respecting them. Jon
Phoenix Gardens to me was more
of a persons backyard, not a
public thing, to me. They had
loads of things on the trees than
hang down. To me it doesnt fit
in with my conditioning of a
public park. It just seemed too
much. Adrian
176
177

COLEVILLE PLACE
RESIDENTIAL
The trees are chained

up in the streets next to
peoples houses, which I
find slightly strange. I can
see they dont want to have
them nicked but it didnt
give a very trusting feel.
Sam
178
179

COLEVILLE PLACE
RESIDENTIAL
The people there, as far as I can

see, look imprisoned.
They have basements in the
houses, they have railings so you
cant get down into the basement,
and some people have put perspex
up so they can get the light but
no one can see in. They all had
net curtains, then there was one
window with slatted blinds, and
they were all perfectly horizontal,
and then there was one bit
that was a wee bit open where
someone had peeked through.
So it did feel like they felt they
were being watched, and I felt
I was being watched by them
because I couldnt see them.
That and the helicopters were very
noisy. A feeling of observation.
Caroline
180
181

HALE GARDENS
RESIDENTIAL
The school I think was a bit over

the top. It was like an industrial
unit. It felt like a prison. The
galvanised bits of metal.
At first I saw it and thought it was
an industrial unit.
I caught the sign in the corner of
my eye that said primary school.
I thought, oh. Tom
The metal entrance on the
school is incongruous. The school
barriers make it look like a
prison or depot. Kathy
182
183

COLEVILLE PLACE
RESIDENTIAL
Limited access with the houses.

You can only get into the building if
youve got a code, you can only get
into a certain alleyway if the gate is
unlocked.
In the playground they had barbed
wire all over the playgrounds and
they and more fencing up and
more, get out, this is my place
Its more like a fortress, theyre
defending their right to own this
thing and theres a suspicion
that someone will take this away.
Caroline
184
185
SIGNS
SignsOF
ofSECURITY
Character
HALE GARDENS
RESIDENTIAL
Usually a subway is a daunting

place. They made the subway
inviting, by adding different
levels, flowers, lighting. It took
away the threat.
Usually when I think of subways
I think of Tottenham Court Road.
Yuck!Kathy
186
187
SIGNS
SignsOF
ofSECURITY
Character
ARCHWAY
TRANSPORT
The actual station is uninviting...

the poor lighting, drab dcor,
especially the old tiles, and
at the back a dark entrance. I
wouldnt feel very safe. Kathy
188
189

TOTTENHAM HALE
TRANSPORT
I noticed the bike racks. Its just

maintenance. A lick of paint over
the rust, but then some of the
locks were cut open. And it
doesnt really bode well. A lot
of them have been twisted. I dont
really feel safe with my bike being
here. Tom
190
191

HALE GARDENS
RESIDENTIAL
Walking into it on my own being a female

with a camera and a clipboard, I didnt exactly
feel I was in the best position, especially
once you heard all the windows open and
the music blaring and the cars going
and young fellas walking around. It was
a wee bit intimidating to begin with and
then the more I walked around it the more I
thought, its all in your mind. Caroline
192
193

IDENTIFYING SIGNS
SIGNS OF LOVE/NEGLECT
MONMOUTH STREET
COMMERCIAL
Signs of Love / Neglect

Signs that make us love a place because they show someone else has loved it first!
Within the diverse spaces passed through, many examples of personal effort, thought,
time and care (and trust) were spotted.
Contrasting examples of neglect were also found, showing a distinct lack of love and
portraying far more impersonal characteristics.
Loads of plants, loads of green

things show that people really
care about that area. Sam
194
195
TAVISTOCK TERRACE
RESIDENTIAL
Love
196
197
Somebody had taken the trouble

to paint a mural of flowers and
plants, so what looked like a dark,
dank little space when you were once in
it was quite attractive. Mark
198
199
MONMOUTH STREET
COMMERCIAL
Round Neals Yard, theres lots of evidence of people

caring for their stores and the area.
Down to the hanging baskets and lots of hand
done bits of type. Attention to detail but not in a
brandy-brand type way. Its all quite personal.
Sam
200
201
Signs
of Character
/ Blandness:
T
he mosaic
of the step
was veryTottenham
interesting, that was unusual,
the mosaic of the house number.
Because I think that would
have taken some special
effort. Mark
COLEVILLE PLACE
RESIDENTIAL
202
A weird sign of love. In a shed someone in the house

had wrapped up their bits in plastic bags, and
thats what my mum does. She doesnt pay for
boxes because bags are free and watertight. My mum
comes from a really poor background and I can
imagine who that kind of person was because I
can relate to it. Tom
HALE GARDENS
RESIDENTIAL
203
TAVISTOCK TERRACE
RESIDENTIAL
Little things I liked about it. The bollards.

The full length of the street has the same design
of bollards. What that says to me is that somebody
has thought about the whole space, the whole
street, the whole urban design of that in a detailed
way. Its those sort of touches that make it feel
like a quality area. Thoughts gone into it. Steve
204
205
Signs
of Character
WHITTINGTON
PARK
GREENSPACE
206
I liked the tree mural... If I was a kid I would have

gone looking for them. It spurred you on to go
and find the real thing. Kathy
207
SIGNS
SignsOF
ofLOVE/NEGLECT
PHOENIX GARDENS
GREENSPACE
These wonderful beaten up old benches. They

dont have a speck of graffiti on them, people
obviously care about them...You can tell where
the grass has worn out in front of them where
everyones sat. Sam
208
209
SIGNS
SignsOF
ofLOVE/NEGLECT
TOTTENHAM GREEN
GREENSPACE
ONLY ONE BENCH!

...And when I sit down, look what I see! This bench is
just used by alcoholics and look how ingrained all
of the bottle tops and ring pulls are. This has been
going on for a while... Luciano
210
211
SIGNS
SignsOF
ofLOVE/NEGLECT
TOTTENHAM
RESIDENTIAL
HALE GARDENS
RESIDENTIAL
Neglect
212
213
213
HALE GARDENS
RESIDENTIAL
The walk going down to Hale

Gardens...I was building myself
up to something that wasnt
very nice because outside there
was a bench that had been
totally eaten by rot and I couldnt
imagine anyone sitting there.
There was litter in the foliage.
If you live there its a total
disregard to your living
environment. Tom
214
215
SIGNS
SignsOF
ofLOVE/NEGLECT
TAVISTOCK TERRACE
RESIDENTIAL
Its easier here to someone to take care of their bit.

Englishmans castle. And you can tell that people
really do take care of their bit...
216
HALE GARDENS
RESIDENTIAL
...thats the difference. You cant really take care of

a whole tower block. Hale Gardens had a big stain
at the side. Tom
217
HALE GARDENS
RESIDENTIAL
Its preconceptions of a tower block. Its quite

anonymous, not particularly individual
attention in the actual architecture, but youll
see window boxes and little balconies and people
have spent quite a bit of time individualising
their own space as much as they can. Simon
218
218
219
219
Even the simple thing of the guy

working on his car out in the
open, that really changed the
ambience of the place for me
and made me think my immediate
reaction was not valid. There was
also some music. So my initial
reaction was negative but by
the time I left, it was a lot less
negative. Jon
The music blaring, cars going,
young fellas .. that began being
negative completely flipped and
became quite positive.Caroline
220
220
221
SIGNS
LOVE/NEGLECT
Signs
ofOF
Character
HALE GARDENS
RESIDENTIAL
The first
really good
sight was
that great
car. That
was like
oh wow
thats the
best car
Ive seen
all day.
Simon
222
222
223
ARCHWAY
TRANSPORT
It was filthy. There were chips, there newspapers, it

could only have been worse if someone had vomited.
Mark
On top of the tower block there was lots of mobile

phone masts. If this was a middle class area they
wouldnt be there at all. Its like youre not valuing
the people there in the first place. Simon
Beam me up scottie! It looks like a surveillance
tower on a prison camp. Kathy
224
225
HOLLOWAY ROAD
COMMERCIAL
The whole experience is

slightly depressing. On a wet
Wednesday afternoon it must
be really soul destroying
walking down that street. Steve
226
227
TOTTENHAM HALE
TRANSPORT
Its like moving into a

new house but no ones
cleaning up or taking
care of it, so it quickly
gets into a state.
... There is no sign of
love. A sign of love
is a clean place. It
doesnt need to be a
pot of flowers. Tom
229
It was the

flowers, the
very fact that
there were
flowers, the
door was
well painted,
and that it
was clean.
It felt loved.
More than next
door, although
its not much
different to
next door. Its
the flowers
that do it.
Kathy
231
What can we learn from

unravelling our urban lexicon?
This project reveals a better
understanding of how people react to
city spaces, and how small things can
make a big difference. Want to change
the publics perceptions of a place, or
even how they use it? Try changing the
little things first. Can a few more bins
bring about greater pride in an area?
Can a thoughtfully-placed bench
encourage community life? Can a
low hedge keep a park safe?
232
Only very small things would made a difference.

If only the grass had been cut that would have said
to me that someone was taking a bit of interest.
There were signs of disinterest all round, the grass
wasnt cut, the fence was in disrepair, there was
rubbish outside the houses. Just cutting the grass
and some flowers would have made a lot of
difference to me. Mark
233
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM

UNRAVELLING OUR URBAN LEXICON?
photo: Luciano Vitiello
You cant design a place that keeps everybody happy,

but there are plenty of common denominators that can
help to create places that most people love. Signs of
society and humanity were seen as universal signs of
successful and well-loved spaces.
Although love from the local authority is important,
allowing space for individual personalities to come
through really says, this place belongs to people. Social
housing with opportunities for people to personalise
and make the space theirs; a station that welcomes
visitors with a sense of local character and community;
a park with places for many different activities and
the chance to get involved in caring for the space. This
goes beyond passively using a place towards actively
participating and shaping it. New places especially
should encourage these opportunities to help create a
sense of place.
However, changing details isnt necessarily the easy
option. Time and again our participants picked up
on standardised solutions, the obvious options that
created bland places. Details that had taken time or
effort to create were overwhelmingly seen in the places
that people reacted well to to. People notice that effort
and appreciate it. We love places that others have
loved first, and a small detail can help to kick-start that
turnaround, changing a place that says no into a place
that says, yes.
We hope this research proves enlightening and useful
for anyone involved in improving their public spaces,
from residents groups to planning professionals to an
individual who cares about their city. Keep these signs
in mind when considering the city that surrounds you
and see what a difference a detail can make.
Rosanna Vitiello & Marcus Willcocks
234
235
Briefing tools
Appendix
Briefing tools
237
Maps & Response Forms
242
Further information
DETAIL DETECTIVES
Unravelling the Urban Lexicon
Rosanna Vitiello & Marcus Willcocks
A Bright Sparks funded research project
246
About the authors
246
Acknowledgements
247
236
237
Detail Detectives | Unravelling the Urban Lexicon
Detail Detectives | Unravelling the Urban Lexicon
DETAILS AND THE URBAN LEXICON
When you first come across a new place in London, you often get a gut reaction as to whether you
like it or not. Thats the city speaking to you, and you understanding the city around you; an urban
lexicon or language. We believe this communication between people and the city is down to the
details; a freshly painted door, a graffiti tag, the smell of cut grass or spilt petrol, the feel of broken
glass or cobbles underfoot. Details can be seen, and to a lesser extent heard, smelt and touched.
Maybe its easier to show you what we mean by details and the images below give you some
examples. You can see more at our project blog:
http://urbanlexicon.blogspot.com/2008/04/image-cloud.html
CITY CLUES TO AN URBAN LEXICON
Details act like clues left around our environment. We interpret those clues and understand the
places that surround us through them. Its like reading the city, or its lexicon, with the clues building
up a story in our heads of the place. They hint to activities that might have happened there, or might
be about to happen. They help us to work out whether we want to stick around or get straight out of
there.
Were running street workshops called Detail Detectives over the next week to find out more about
these details.
EMOTIONAL CITIES
Some places immediately make you feel good and want to stay there longer, whilst others make
you want to get out of there straight away. Wed like to know what your instinctive reaction is to a
place, then will help you breakdown how details youve seen, heard, smelt or touched might have
encouraged that feeling.
+ When you have a positive reaction to a place, it might make you feel:
Excitement / Calm / Curious / Energetic/ Comfortable / Amused / Clear-headed / Delighted / At ease /
Energized / Empowered / Focused / Loved / Respectful / Proud / Close / Patient / Content / Thrilled /
Surprised / Warmed / etc
- When you have a negative reaction to a place, it might make you feel:
Scared / Disgusted / Nervous / Frustrated / Bored / Confused / Lacking control / Threatened / Hurried
/ Angry / Unwelcome / Ashamed / Disappointed / Apathetic / Distant / Stressed / Sluggish / Dullness /
etc
WHAT
With this project were attempting to unravel how details in an urban environment affect the way you
feel about a place, and which details might trigger certain emotional reactions. Wed like to know
what your instinctive reaction is to a place, then will help you breakdown how details youve seen,
heard, smelt or touched might have encouraged that feeling. Were trying to piece together those
clues and see how they combine to create an urban lexicon or a language of the city.
WHY
We believe that details, although small, could have a big impact on how people feel about a place,
and that this will ultimately affect how a place is used. If we can understand how they affect us,
details could be managed in ways that transform an inhospitable place into somewhere lively and
well-loved.
WHEN
The street workshops, Detail Detectives will run on Friday 2nd, Sat 3rd, Sun 4th and
Thursday 8th May. We suggest allowing two half days or one full day. Let us know when suits
you best during those times and how long youre able to spend with us, and well aim to tailor the
workshops to suit you. Well be in contact via email to confirm where and when to meet.
HOW
Well be visiting four diverse areas of London with you where youll play the role of Detail Detectives.
Well give you a Detectives Investigation pack, a trail to follow and a digital camera to document the
details you find. Once youve finished the tour, well talk to you to work out what you felt and what
details might have affected that.
We'll cover travel expesnses, food and drink for refueling and pass you a small fee
for your commitment.
The results will form a series of visual stories documenting your journey, published and distributed on
the project website and as part of the Bright Sparks seminar on public art and public space research
in September.
WHERE
Were visiting boroughs across north east, north, west and central London. Well meet in a central
location and travel together to our destination, when youll find out where were going, as wed like to
keep an element of the place being unknown.
WHO
Marcus Willcocks and Rosanna Vitiello will be taking you on the street workshops.
They are designers and experts in how people use public spaces and work internationally,
There will be anything between two and six people taking part at one time.
If you want to know more or would like to take part please get in touch with us on 07966 505673 or
at rosvit@yahoo.co.uk by Thursday 1st May, and we can work out which days suit you best.
You can see more about the project at
http://urbanlexicon.blogspot.com
To find out more about the projects sponsors and where the final work will be showcased, go to:
www.gunpowderpark.org/brightsparks
238
239
240
241
Workshop Maps & Response Forms
242
243
ad
ent
y
Wa
Sta tion Rd
High Cross Road
Th
Ha e
le
pp ro
H al l A
ac h
Tottenham
Green
SHOPPING
CENTRE
Anti ll Rd
Spr ing fiel d
Rd
Tyn em out h
Rd
Rd
Tottenham
Hale Station
An till Rd
Talb ot Rd
H ig h
Ro ad
Tyn em out h
Ferry Lane
ue Rd
Bro ad Lan e
To w n
Hale
Gardens
M on tag
le R
oad
rm e
Ha
um
Mon
Wa
te
TOTTENHAM
Wa
y
High Roa d
W Green
Road Shops
B ro a
WG
re en
ne
d La
Ro ad
Seven Sisters
Station
YOUR INSTINCT
Initial feelings towards this place?
POSITIVE DETAILS
What makes you feel good about it?
NEGATIVE DETAILS
What makes you feel bad about it?
Hale
Gardens
Tottenham
Hale
Station
Tottenham
Green
West Green
Road Shops
244
245
Further information
Thank you
This project could not have existed and developed without the contributions of:
The project web site contains more research

material, interview transcripts, maps and background
information
www.urbanlexicons.com
The project blog tracks the setting up process of ideas,

inspiration and experimentation
http://urbanlexicon.blogspot.com
About the authors

Rosanna and Marcus are both trained designers who
cross traditional discipline boundaries to focus on
design in the public realm. Rosanna, based in New
York, brings experience in strategy and communication,
while Marcus, based in Barcelona and London,
specializes in user-centred and socially-centred
design. Both share an interest in uniting expertise from
commercial design experience to engage in innovative
ways with issues of public space and daily life. They
work with designers and architects as well as local
authorities, social scientists, anthropologists, academics
and real people to explore this field.
urbanlexicon@googlemail.com
246
Project advisors and consultants

Bright Sparks/ Gunpowder Park team plus mentor Andre Dekke
Calum Storrie Author/ artist and writer on situationism.
Prof. Lorraine Gamman Director Design Against Crime Research Centre
Joyce Rosser Tottenham Residents Association
David Cottridge Photographer
Johanna Reich Video artist
Saga Arpino 3D installation artist
Chris Leung Architect/ UCL doctorate responsive architecture,
behaviour measurement
Luciano Vitiello Architect
Workshop participants
Charlotte
Perla
Simon
Jon
Caroline
Steve
Mark
Sam
Stefan
Kathy
Luciano
Adrian
Alex
Marta
Andi
247
www.urbanlexicons.com
December 2008

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Unravelling the

Signs of Character / Blandness: Tottenham

Why do we instantly fall in love

While others make us want to

Unravelling the Urban Lexicons

Unravelling the Urban Lexicons

This project begins to decipher how

Through street workshops, interviews,

Unravelling the Urban Lexicons

Part 1 Project Overview

What do we mean by details? What is an urban lexicon?

How did we unravel an urban lexicon?

Unravelling the Urban Lexicon: Identifying signs

Learning from our spaces

Part 2 Signs of Urban Lexicons

What can we learn from unravelling an urban lexicon?

Maps and Response Forms

About the authors

Signs of Character / Blandness: Tottenham

Unravelling the Urban Lexicons

Unravelling the Urban Lexicons

What do we mean by details?

Every city shares

What DO WE MEAN BY details? What is aN URBAN Lexicon?

How would you feel here?

What DO WE MEAN BY details? What is aN URBAN Lexicon?

... or how about here?

Unravelling the Urban Lexicons

Unravelling the Urban Lexicons

What DO WE MEAN BY details? What is aN URBAN Lexicon?

Unravelling the Urban Lexicons

Unravelling the Urban Lexicons

What DO WE MEAN BY details? What is aN URBAN Lexicon?

We never look at cities [in terms of]

Charles Landry, 2006

Unravelling the Urban Lexicons

How did we unravel

1. Defining the scope of our research

Secondly, we ran street workshops

Our research efforts involved us working visually and experimentally, as well as

How did we unravel an urban lexicon?

Unravelling the Urban Lexicons

Unravelling the Urban Lexicons

How did we unravel an urban lexicon?

Greenspace Pocket parks,

Residential Tower blocks, lo-

community gardens, town

rise social housing, conservation areas,

Commercial Street markets,

Bus, tube and rail stations,

Unravelling the Urban Lexicons

local high streets, city-centre

Unravelling the Urban Lexicons

How did we unravel an urban lexicon?

We spent time scoping

Although our wider

Between these sixteen

Unravelling the Urban Lexicons

Unravelling the Urban Lexicons

How did we unravel

First, think about your instinctive

What do clues or details do you notice

Record it and how its made you feel...

And lets talk about it.

Every city shares

We never look at cities [in terms of]

Thats more like

The usual Holloway

They have some

My ideal garden.

It was really warm

The flowers, the

The pale green

I dont think youd

It didnt feel like

Look at that theyve

It looks like a

Noisy. Traffic. Noise.